Renée Zellweger Sings Judy Garland On New Soundtrack Album, ‘Judy’

Academy Award winner and three times Academy Award nominee Renée Zellweger is set to release her first ever solo album, as she stars on the Original Soundtrack for the highly-anticipated feature film Judy.

Set for global release on 27 September 2019, this brand new soundtrack marks 50 years since Judy Garland’s premature death in 1969, and 80 years since she shot to teenage stardom in The Wizard of Oz in 1939. It will be released on the singer’s original record label, Decca Records.

Based on the true story of Judy Garland’s final concerts in London in the late 1960s, the forthcoming Judy biopic sees Zellweger in the role of the show business legend, bringing her own, newly-recorded and distinctive vocals to this unique album.

Talking of Zellweger’s phenomenal musical performance, the two times Olivier winner and Tony nominated director Rupert Goold commented: “I made it clear to Renee that I wasn’t looking for an impersonation of Judy Garland’s inimitable voice, but what I wanted was for Renee to make the songs her own and this she did to thrilling effect.”

Here, Zellweger delivers striking performances of Judy Garland’s best-known and much-loved numbers, which have become some of the most iconic songs in film and theatre history, including ‎’Get Happy’, ‘Come Rain or Come Shine’ and ‘Over the Rainbow’. With her vocals recorded in London’s famous Abbey Road Studios, these new recordings capture the intensity of Garland’s electrifying performances, all set against the backdrop of a stormy private life and erratic health.

An advance synopsis sets the scene: “winter 1968 and showbiz legend Judy Garland arrives in swinging London to perform in a sell-out run at the Talk Of The Town. It is 30 years since she shot to global stardom in the Wizard Of Oz, but if her voice has weakened, its dramatic intensity has only grown. As she prepares for the show, battles with management, charms musicians, and reminisces with friends and adoring fans, her wit and warmth shine through.

“Even her dreams of romance seem undimmed as she embarks on a courtship with Mickey Deans, her soon-to-be fifth husband. And yet Judy is fragile. After working for 45 of her 47 years, she is exhausted; haunted by memories of a childhood lost to Hollywood; and gripped by a desire to be back home with her kids. Featuring some of her best-known songs, the film celebrates the voice, the capacity for love and the sheer pizzazz of “the world’s greatest entertainer”.

Cast members joining Zellweger in Judy include Michael Gambon (Harry Potter), Jessie Buckley (War and Peace) and Finn Wittrock (American Horror Story). The film is based on a script written by Tom Edge (The Crown) and is produced by BAFTA winner David Livingstone (Pride) with Matt Dunkley (Black Swan) as Musical Director.